__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'll skip over the part where Saitama fights Hammerhead—honestly, there's nothing worth writing about. Even though Ethan has complained to him countless times about finishing every fight with just one punch, Saitama always says, "If I don't end it in one punch, then I'm not One Punch Man, am I?"There's really no arguing with that logic, so Ethan just sighs and lets it go.
When Saitama shattered the so-called "battle armor" with a single blow, Ethan turned away immediately. He didn't want to see something that might give him an eye infection.
"Hey, Ethan, what're you turning away for?"
"I don't wanna see anything I'll regret. Might get a stye!"
"No worries! Just rinse your eyes when we get back. I recommend Saitama-brand Eye Wash—it works wonders!"
"..."
"Alright! The Paradisers are done for! Time to head home! Finally, I can go out in a couple of days without people pointing and staring. Feels so good!"
"No, wait, Saitama—take a look at this. You're already on the front page."
"Huh?"
"'Terrifying Bald Candy Thief!' The article says a bald guy in yellow tights and a white cape terrorized the streets. Your fame's almost on par with Hammerhead's now!"
"What the hell is this!?"
"Hold still, lemme take a pic for the internet." Click!
"You bastard! This is all Hammerhead's fault! I swear, I'm gonna kill that idiot!" Saitama ground his teeth, furious. This was easily the worst thing that had happened to him since becoming a hero.
Then, a quiet, eerie voice floated over from nowhere.
"Hammerhead, you said? Which way did he go?"
Saitama, thinking it was some cop or bounty hunter, pointed helpfully. "That way! Please, go get that jerk and toss him in jail!"
"A straggler, huh…" The voice came again, colder this time, dripping with menace. A kunai whistled through the air and landed right in front of Saitama's feet—so fast an ordinary person wouldn't even see it.
Saitama blinked, picked it up casually, and stared at it. "Huh? Why's someone attacking me?"
Ethan immediately stepped back from him. "Hey, hey, I've got nothing to do with him! I'm just a bystander, see? Totally not bald!"
He had thought the excitement was over once Saitama finished off Hammerhead, but apparently not. Judging by the outfit, this newcomer must've been a ninja-type hero sent to take down the Paradisers.Funny thing was, Ethan had never heard of any ninja heroes before.
He crossed his arms, watching curiously.Was Saitama gonna end this guy with one punch too? That'd be boring.
Saitama looked down at the kunai in his hand, still puzzled. A flash of silver suddenly sliced through the air—so close it nearly grazed his eyeball.
Snap.Saitama caught the ninja's blade between his fingers.
The ninja froze. He clearly hadn't recognized Saitama and must've assumed he was part of the Paradisers. But now, his mocking smirk turned into wide-eyed shock.
"Hey, that's not right," Saitama said, crushing the blade in his hand like it was made of tinfoil.
"What's not right?" The ninja's expression turned deadly serious.
Off to the side, Ethan grinned. This was getting interesting. Maybe Saitama would finally have to explain himself. Then again, that'd probably take too long—much more fun to watch it all fall apart.
"I'm not with the Paradisers! He can vouch for me," Saitama said, pointing at Ethan. "Come on, back me up here! I'm the one who stopped them, not one of them!"
Ethan cleared his throat. "Uh, I don't know when exactly he joined the Paradisers, but I do know he's a wanted thief. Look!" He held out his phone.
"The Bald Candy Bandit?"
"Shut up! I told you, that was a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!!"
"Misunderstanding or not," the ninja said coldly, "it doesn't matter anymore."
"Huh?"
"What matters is—you saw through my attacks twice. That's the real problem. I was born in the Ninja Village. I've trained my techniques since childhood…"
Ethan snickered. Oh, Saitama was in trouble now. This guy wasn't some run-of-the-mill hero—if he was a hero at all. Having his attacks blocked twice must've wounded his pride. He'd probably decided Saitama had to die.
The ninja's grin twisted into something dark and menacing, but Saitama just tilted his head, seeing it as some kind of innocent smile.
Ethan stared. What part of that face looks innocent!? That was pure evil!
Still, he had to admit—the ninja's speed was incredible. For a human to move that fast was almost supernatural.Of course, Saitama didn't count—he was a monster in human skin.
The ninja darted around him, moving faster than sound, circling like a blur. Ethan couldn't help but applaud internally.Now this was good entertainment.
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________